19-22 May, 2025, Hong Kong, China

The 26th World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia/Pacific (A/P) Regional Heads of Customs Administrations Conference, hosted by Hong Kong Customs in its capacity as the WCO Vice-Chair for the A/P Region (APVC), successfully concluded on May 22, 2025. Over the course of four days, the Conference brought together senior Customs officials from across the region to advance strategic collaboration, capacity building, and innovation in Customs operations.

Member

During the main sessions on May 19, ROCB A/P delivered its annual report and Implementation Status of Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2026 Focus Area 3 Capacity Building, which provided updates on the office’s core activities, including support for WCO workshops, technical assistance, and annual needs survey. ROCB A/P emphasized the alignment of its efforts with the proposed WCO capacity building paradigm, which promotes more Member-driven, needs-based, and outcome-oriented approaches to Customs development.

On May 20, ROCB A/P led a dedicated session on the WCO Training Management Project, offering Member administrations a detailed overview of the project’s objectives, tools, and implementation strategies. Mongolia and Sri Lanka Customs made their contributions by presenting their achievements after Project’s Workshop in India, in May 2024, highlighting the importance of proper planning of domestic training and continued information exchange among neighbouring Members. The presentations underscored ROCB A/P’s commitment to assisting Members in enhancing training governance and modernizing HR development frameworks under the new paradigm.

ROCB A/P further reinforced its role through high-level bilateral meetings. In a meeting with WCO Secretary General Mr. Ian Saunders, the Secretary General introduced the background and strategic vision of the new capacity building paradigm and acknowledged ROCB A/P’s proactive efforts in its implementation. ROCB A/P reaffirmed its continued support for helping Members understand and operationalize the paradigm once it is endorsed at Council Session next month.

Additional bilateral meetings were held with the Maldives Customs Service and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department. During these engagements, ROCB A/P presented the core concepts of the new paradigm, explained how future capacity building activities would be structured, and expressed its readiness to support Members in developing customized plans tailored to their national priorities and development goals.

With 20 years of experience, ROCB A/P is uniquely positioned to assist Members in translating the WCO’s global vision into concrete, locally adapted outcomes. Through responsive and collaborative efforts, ROCB A/P remains committed to strengthening the effectiveness, innovation, and resilience of Customs administrations across the Asia/Pacific region.

For more information, please contact us at rocb@rocbap.org